The New Yorker Suggests Inventive New Letter Grades For NYC Restos In Light Of Fieri-gate

Hark! What’s that chortling in the distance? Oh, it’s just The New Yorker getting a kick out of itself for suggesting a new restaurant grading system for the New York Department of Health after Pete Wells’ scathing review of Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant. In an effort to “provide prospective diners with a more comprehensive picture of what to expect from a restaurant,” The New Yorker helpfully suggests the following letter grades:

“MF — (Momofuku Fee) While the restaurant appears to be a run-of-the-mill ramen joint, for a twenty-dollar surcharge customers are invited to pretend that it is Momofuku.
TC — (Top Chef) Designates that the chef-owner either participated in, hosted, co-hosted, guest-judged, TiVo’d, or co-TiVo’d at least one episode of ‘Top Chef.’HSBC — (HSBC) Look around. Do you see tables? What about an attractive hostess to check your reservations? No food, either? Well, friend, you’re in a bank.”

See? Now you’re chortling, too. Don’t we all feel like we can be good chums now? Put this “elitist” critical silliness behind us and toast with a round of Watermelon Margeritas? No? Too soon? Okay, then.